Ferdinand wtjtbrich and konrap ha



UNITED STATES rATnNr Brion.

FERDINAND WTERICH AND KONRAD HAGEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Specication of Letters Patent No. V15,676, dated September 2, 1856.

To all whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that we, FERDINAND WTER- ICH and KONRAD HAGEN, both of thecity of New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedanew and Improved Apparatus for Raising and LoweringWindow Shades orCurtains; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and eX-act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawingsand to the lettersof reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction of an apparatusto which the roller of the window shade is attached, acted upon byspring and friction cam in connection with the weight of the curtain insuch a manner that the shade or curtain will be held stationary in anydesired position.

Figure I represents a front view of the apparatus with the cover of thecasing removed and Fig. II is a cross section of the same.

Ais the casing containing the machinery provided with suitable lugs, toattach the same to the side of the window.

B is a spur wheel turning freely in the side of the casing, to the heelof which said wheel a scroll spring D (similar to a watch spring) isattached, the other end of which is attached to the pin .(V) fast to thecasing A. This spring is made light and only of sulicient strength toroll up the curtain after the latter is relieved of some of its weight.

C is a pinion working into the spurwheel B and fast on the shaft N,capablel of turning freely in the side of the casing A and in the slideE. This shaft N, projects a little through the cover of the casing andis provided on that side with a square hole to receive one end of theroller to which the window shade is attached. The hole in the casingthrough whichthe end of the shaft N projects is made large enough toallow said shaft to be moved a little downward, for the purposehereafter explained.

E isa slide supporting one end of the shaft N, capable of an up and downmotion, and guided by suitable projections fast to the cover of thecasing. A spring (m) of the required strength bears against the bottomof said slide so as to keep this slide upward and counter balance thesame together with everything attached to it.

F is a cam turning upon a center fast to the casing, acted upon by thespring (n) and bearing against the periphery of the hub of the pinion C.This cam is so constructed as to act like a brake upon the pinion C inone direction, and at the same time giving full liberty for said pinionto turn in the opposite direction.

G is a lever turning upon a center fast to the casing and attached tothe slide E, capable Vof being moved up or down with the same. The en dof this lever bears against a projection (a) on the cam F so as to presssaid cam away from the periphery of the hub of the pinion C, liberatingthereby said pinion so as to be capable of being turned in the directionindicated by the arrow..

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: One end of the curtainorwindow shade roller is provided with a square pin and tted into thehole of the shaft N of the pinion C. When the curtain is pulled down theeXtra weight or power applied to the curtain to pull the sanne down,overcomes the power of the spring (112) and` pulls at the same time theslide E a little downward, by which motion the lever G will likewise bemoved downward so as to press the cam F away from the periphery of thehub of the pinion C, thereby allowing said pinion to turn around in thedirection indicated by the arrow and unwinding thereby the window shade.By this running down of the curtain the pinion C acts upon the spur`wheel B turning the same around and thereby winds `the scroll spring Dup. If the curtain is, in any position, let loose the spring m will pushup` again the slide E and lever G, which latter will relieve the cam Fso as to be acted upon by its: spring (n) when the friction produced bysaid cam against the periphery of the hub of the pinion C, will hold thesame and consequently the window shade in the eXact position it was leftand prevents thereby the excess of t-he weight of the window shade abovethe strength of the spring D from letting the shade fall lower, whilethis excess of weight of the window shade prevents at the same time thewinding up of said shade by the action of the spring D. If we requirenow to wind up the shade again we overcome by raising up the lower partof the shade t-he excess weight of the same above the power of thespring D when consequently said spring, (which has been wound `up by theunrolling of the shade as before mentioned) Vwill act upon the wheel Band pinlon C solas to roll up thereby the window shade. By rolling upthe shade the pinion l C will t-urn in the opposite direction of theposition indicated by the arrow, in which direction the cani F willoffer no obstruction. When I relieve again the window-shade at anydesired position, then the whole weight. of the shade or curtainovercomes again the power of the spring D, when the cam F acts againupon t-he periphery of the heel of the pinion C preventing the greaterweight of the curtain from unwinding itselt1 as before described andconsequently the curtain will be retained in the desired position.

We do not claim the application of a scroll spring wound up by therunning down of l the curtain and then drawing up the same by itsrecoil, as we are aware the same has been done before, but

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- Supporting one end of the shaft (N) in a movable slide (E) connectedwith the lever (G) which latter is made to act upon the cam (F) in themanner and for the purpose described.

FERDINAND WUTERICH. KONRAD HAGEN. Witnesses:

HENRY E. RAEDER, RUFUS LAPHAM.

